State Senate smacks down push to deny non-citizens driver’s licenses

Lt. Gov. Brad Owen on Wednesday ruled that an amendment to the transportation budget that would require the state to verify the citizenship of driver’s license applicants was out of order.

A vote on the $8.9 billion spending plan was delayed Tuesday after Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, introduced the clause mandating that the state Department of Licensing check the citizenship of people who fail to give a valid Social Security number.

Washington and New Mexico are the only two states where illegal immigrants can get driver’s licenses.

A bill was introduced that would have restricted illegal immigrants’ access to driver’s licenses, but Senate Democrats refused to bring it up for a floor vote before a March cutoff deadline.

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown said Benton’s amendment was outside the scope of the transportation budget and called for a ruling from the Senate president (Owen) to disqualify it. Wednesday morning Owen ruled that the budget bill was not the appropriate venue for Benton’s amendment.